Baluster

ABSTRACT

A baluster comprising an elongate support member having a lower end for attachment to a wall or structure and a middle and upper portion for supporting a railing, fence, barrier or partition. The lower end of the baluster is generally hollow with a hollow interior and has a front face and a rear face for attaching to the wall or structure. The front face has at least two access holes therethrough in communication with the hollow interior. The access holes are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the lower end and aligned with at least two fastener holes extending through the rear face. The access holes are larger in diameter than the fastener holes to permit fasteners to be passed completely through the access holes. The fastener holes permit fasteners to pass only partially therethrough and into the wall or structure to secure the support member to the wall or structure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to balusters of the type that are commonly used for attaching to a generally vertically oriented wall or structure in order to support a railing, fence, guard or partition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Railings, fences, guards and partitions are commonly used in a wide variety of different applications for esthetic, security and safety purposes. An example of one such application is around the balconies or elevated decks of multiple storey residential and commercial buildings. For safety reasons such balconies or decks typically include a peripheral railing, wall or barrier to prevent people and objects from accidentally falling to the ground. In many instances balconies include around their exposed edges an integral knee wall that may vary from a few inches to one to three feet in height. Such knee walls are most often formed from poured concrete, cement blocks, cement or clay bricks, or wood, but may also be constructed from a variety of other commonly used building materials. Railings, walls or barriers are typically attached to the knee walls in order to prevent individuals from falling from the balcony, but at the same time to present an aesthetically pleasing structure. Most often the railing, wall or barrier is comprised of a series of vertically oriented posts secured together by horizontal rails. Between the posts there are typically positioned a series of pickets or spindles. To present a less imposing appearance sheets of tempered glass or other relatively strong transparent material may replace most of the vertical posts and/or pickets. For increased security or privacy solid panels may be used in place of the sheets of transparent material. The railings, walls or barriers are typically secured in place about the balcony or deck through fastening vertically oriented balusters to the interior surface of the knee wall.

[0003] The safety presented by structures positioned about the perimeter of a balcony or deck is derived from the height of the railing or partition and its inherent strength. In most jurisdictions local building codes and government regulations dictate the minimum height required for such railings or barriers. In many jurisdictions there are also regulations that require safety structures around balconies or elevated platforms to be free from physical structures that would allow them to be easily climbed by children. There has therefore been an attempt by the manufacturers of balcony and deck railings and barriers to provide products that are structurally sound and that cannot be readily climbed by a child if left unattended. Unfortunately, most existing railings and barriers either limit climbability through the use of complex or expensive attachment mechanisms, or present structures of only slightly reduced climbability. In addition, a reduction in the ability of the railing or barrier to be easily climbed often comes at the cost of a less aesthetically pleasing structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention therefore provides a baluster that may be used in the construction of a railing or barrier for placement about the periphery of a balcony, deck, or other elevated structure that is inherently strong, may be easily and inexpensively manufactured, is aesthetically pleasing, and reduces the ability of a child to climb the railing or barrier.

[0005] Accordingly, in one of these aspects the invention provides a baluster comprising an elongate support member having a lower end for attachment to a wall or structure and a middle and upper portion for supporting a railing, fence, barrier or partition, said lower end of said baluster being of a generally hollow construction with a hollow interior and having a front face and a rear face for attaching to the wall or structure, said front face of said lower end of said support member having at least two access holes therethrough in communication with said hollow interior, said access holes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of said lower end and aligned with at least two fastener holes extending through said rear face of said lower end of said support member, said access holes larger in diameter than said fastener holes to permit fasteners to be passed completely through said access holes, said fastener holes permitting fasteners to pass only partially therethrough and into the wall or structure to secure said support member to the wall or structure.

[0006] Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a baluster with an attached barrier in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0010]FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower portion of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the baluster shown in FIG. 1; and,

[0012]FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the baluster shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. However, the specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose only some of the specific forms of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims that follow herein.

[0014] The baluster according to the present invention is identified generally in the attached drawings by reference numeral 1. Baluster 1 may take any one of a wide variety of different physical configurations although in the attached drawings it is shown as a generally rectangular shaped elongate support member having an upper end 2 and a lower end 3. Commonly baluster 1 would be formed from extruded aluminum making it strong, light and corrosion resistant. It will, however, be appreciated that the baluster could also be comprised of a wide variety of metals or other materials, and fabricated from an equally wide variety of manufacturing processes.

[0015]FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of a barrier or railing that utilizes baluster 1. In this embodiment the lower end 3 of the baluster is fastened to a knee wall 4. Where the knee wall is part of a balcony it will most often be formed from concrete and may be an integral part of the balcony's concrete floor. The particular barrier shown in FIG. 1 includes glass or transparent panels 5 fixed to its front surface. A horizontal channel or support rail 6 is attached to adjacent balusters and provides a lower support for the glass panels. The upper edges of the panels are held in place through the use of a generally horizontal top rail 7, that also serves to connect the upper ends 2 of adjacent balusters together and to present a finished, aesthetically pleasing, upper surface that is free from sharp corners and edges.

[0016]FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of baluster 1 in cross section in order to illustrate how it may be attached to a generally vertically oriented wall or structure such as knee wall 4. Here the lower end of the baluster is shown as including a front face 8 and a rear face 9 that is held tightly against the surface of knee wall 4 through the use of fasteners 10. In the preferred embodiment at least the lower end of the baluster 1 is hollow with the lower end having a generally hollow lower interior 11. Front face 8 includes at least two access holes 12 passing through the front surface of the baluster and into the hollow interior. Preferably the access holes are aligned and spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the baluster.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, at least two fastener holes 13 pass through rear face 9 and also extend into hollow interior 11. Fastener holes 13 are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the baluster and are positioned such that they are in alignment with access holes 12. Access holes 12 are larger in diameter than fastener holes 13 and are of a sufficient diameter to allow for fasteners 10 to pass completely therethrough. However, fastener holes 13 are sized such that only the shank portions 14 of the fasteners, and not the fastener heads 15, will pass therethrough.

[0018] It will thus be appreciated from an understanding of the above structure that to secure baluster 1 to knee wall 4, or any other generally vertically oriented wall or structure, fasteners may be inserted through access holes 12 with the shanks of the fasteners then passing through fastener holes 13 to be secured within the wall or other structure. The heads of the fasteners will then be retained completely within hollow interior 11 of the lower end of the baluster. In this manner the baluster may be rigidly fixed to wall 4 with no portion of fasteners 10 extending in any manner beyond the outer surface of the lower end of the baluster. That is, through this structure the heads of the fasteners are maintained completely within hollow interior 11 leaving a smooth front face on the lower end of the baluster. This smooth outer face is both aesthetically pleasing and presents no structure for children to place their hands or feet in aid of climbing. In addition, the location of the heads of the fasteners completely within hollow interior 11 also reduces their exposure to the elements and reduces the likelihood of corrosion.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, to further enhance the aesthetic value of the baluster, and to limit the ingress of dirt, debris and moisture into hollow interior 11, plugs 16 may be inserted into access holes 12. Typically plugs 16 would be formed from a plastic, nylon or similar material that may be colour matched to the colour of the exterior of the baluster. Plugs 16 are preferably smooth and fit relatively close to front surface 8 so as not to present a structure that extends to any appreciable amount outwardly from the front surface and therefore cannot be used as a climbing aid by a child.

[0020] In the attached drawings each baluster is shown as incorporating two access and two fastener holes and is held in place through the use of two fasteners. Depending upon the inherent strength of the baluster, dimensional considerations, and strength requirements, two or more sets of holes and fasteners may be utilized. In addition, a load distribution plate may be inserted into hollow interior 11 to distribute the load transferred from the fasteners across a larger surface area of rear face 9. In the embodiment shown the load distribution plates are circular or rectangular washers 17. Alternatively, a single rectangular or oval plate spanning both fastener holes may be used.

[0021] Finally, it should also be readily understood that the types of fasteners used to secure baluster 1 to wall 4 may be any one of a wide variety of commonly used devices. Where wall 4 is formed from concrete the fasteners would typically be comprised of studs or lags secured within the concrete through the use of lead shields or other similar wedging systems. Access holes 12 would typically be formed having a sufficient diameter to allow a wrench, socket or other tool to pass into hollow interior 11 to enable access to the heads of the fasteners so that they may be secured in place. In other applications the fasteners may be belts, screws, pins or nails.

[0022] It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred embodiments of the invention and that it may be possible to make variations to these embodiments while staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have been discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. 

I claim:
 1. A baluster comprising an elongate support member having a lower end for attachment to a wall or structure and a middle and upper portion for supporting a railing, fence, barrier or partition, said lower end of said baluster being of a generally hollow construction with a hollow interior and having a front face and a rear face for attaching to the wall or structure, said front face of said lower end of said support member having at least two access holes therethrough in communication with said hollow interior, said access holes spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of said lower end and aligned with at least two fastener holes extending through said rear face of said lower end of said support member, said access holes larger in diameter than said fastener holes to permit fasteners to be passed completely through said access holes, said fastener holes permitting fasteners to pass only partially therethrough and into the wall or structure to secure said support member to the wall or structure.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1 including plugs releaseably receivable within said access holes, said plugs providing a means to enclose said access holes following attachment of said support member to a wall or structure through the use of fasteners passing partially through said fastener holes.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said plugs are relatively smooth and do not project appreciably beyond said front surface of said lower end of said support member.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 3 including a load distribution plate receivable within said hollow interior of said lower end of said support member, said load distribution plate having holes therethrough alignable with said fastener holes such that the load transferred to said baluster through fasteners used to secure said lower end of said support member to a wall or structure is transferred from the fasteners to said load distribution plate and from said load distribution plate to said support member.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said access holes are of a sufficient size to allow for the passage therethrough of a tool to permit fasteners to be secured through said fastener holes into a wall or structure. 